


Puppy Love

by hyuckssi



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: M/M, Suh Youngho | Johnny / Moon Taeil
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-12
Updated: 2019-12-12
Packaged: 2021-02-26 01:01:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21644917
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hyuckssi/pseuds/hyuckssi
Summary: It’s hard to make friends in college because you’re always missing a piece of home. But there’s nothing a little companion can’t solve, even if they’re used as pawns to flirt or to fight, even enemies can end up as lovers.
Relationships: Lee Donghyuck | Haechan/Lee Jeno
Comments: 7
Kudos: 86
Collections: ’00 FIC FEST: ROUND ONE





	Puppy Love

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt #00101

Starting college had its endless list of perks. Late-night college parties, freedom to eat ice cream for breakfast, the ability to skip classes and catch up on them just by watching the recorded clips from the lesson all from the comfort of your bed. Not to mention: Fall. Fall brought in a lot of things from jackets over flimsy shirts, boots stepping across freshly dried leaves that sounds of crunching chips at your feet, and of course, lots and lots of baked goods. But it also had its negatives. And for Jeno that meant leaving behind his three precious cats. The ones he’d raise himself, the ones he had picked up in a cardboard box outside his favorite convenience store one night on his way home from school. He was still in middle school when that happened, the three kittens trying to snuggle closer to Jeno’s warmth under his umbrella as they were drenched from the summer rain. They were so helpless, and scared, each shivering more as the sound of the thunder seeped through its wet and cold fur. There was something about their helpless state that made Jeno feel at that instant, that he should protect them. 

A week after moving into his parents' old apartment in the city, and the barren house started to make him restless. Instead of coming home to the loving purrs of his three cats he came home to an empty house and switched off the lights. Besides the obvious lack of having his parents to talk to, or his friends to go out with, what he was missing the most was the silent companionship of his pets.

And so, he found himself making his way to the adoption center, on a bright Saturday morning, a hat trying to tame his wild raven locks and their morning antics, on the recommendation of his cousin Doyoung. Something about there being a kitty that reminded him of Jeno’s cats back home and lord forbid if Jeno missed out on this opportunity. He swung the glass doors to his apartment building, the early morning sun rays coaxing his body out of the deep slumber that he had barely woken up from, calling the number Doyoung sent him last night. If Jeno remembered correctly, Johnny took care of the kittens and cats in the shelter and that's exactly the guy he was looking for. Jeno had heard a lot about the shelter from Doyoung when he finally gave in and asked him about where he should get a cat from. And Doyoung couldn’t have been more ecstatic to tell Jeno all about the place. The shelter was just recently opened by a couple, Johnny and Taeil after they’d found quite a few pets abandoned on the streets and couldn’t take care of them themselves. It was no doubt a novel idea, the idea of two lovers waiting to give some of the most adorable animals a new home, sheltering them from the harsh climate outside.

“Hello?” The voice rang from the speaker on Jeno’s phone. His lazy pace allowed him to take in his surroundings, the slow browning of leaves, the appearance of hoodies and cardigans in the morning and the smell of overpriced pumpkin spiced lattes as he walked past Starbucks. 

“Hi is this Johnny? I’m Jeno, Doyoung’s cousin…” The doubt in his voice was evident. For starters, he wasn’t even sure if the shelter was open yet or not. “He told me to give you a call before I came by the shelter.” But more pressing fears haunted Jeno’s mind, gnawing on his lips nervously, he feared they wouldn’t have any cats left in the shelter for Jeno to spend his weekends with.

“Oh my god hey!” An overly excited voice replied, making Jeno question how a person could be this excited early in the morning. But his steps picked pace, as did the chances of his feline friend coming back home with him today. “You’ve reached the right person,” he laughs in between, the constant noise of purrs and some distant barks making his nervous heart calm down a bit. “Doyoung told me you were looking for a cat?” His question was presented more as rhetoric, the purring getting louder on the other side. “And if I were you, I’d be happy right now. We found a real cutie this week.” 

Jeno couldn’t hold back the smile from creeping up his face. The thought of having a cat once again as he spends his nights' gaming or working on school papers exciting him more than it should. “I’ll be there soon.” Cutting the call with that, he makes his way towards the shelter, borderline running to the address Doyoung had sent him last night, alongside his text of good luck.

The shelter seemed more like a remodeled suburban house, the yard in the front housing some puppies, probably playing around in the grass during their morning playtime. The green that surrounded the house was littered with different cat and dog toys in shades of primary colors that would even excite a little toddler. (Though dogs have limited range of vision which makes it kind of useless) While the glass doors opened with a chime to be welcomed into the cacophony of kitten purrs and the accent of the occasional loud barks from some of the smaller dogs. Most of them had soft beds, cages nowhere in sight, which made Jeno feel a little better about the whole situation. A kitten, which could almost pass for a new-born, walked towards Jeno, rubbing its luscious fur on his black sweats.

_Oh, how he missed this._

He bends down below to pet the kitten, his eyes forming into crescents from the sheer happiness it brings him to be able to caress his fingers through the soft fur. The daisy-like clarity of the cats’ ivory fur clashed against the black watch on his hand, but at that very moment, nothing seemed more beautiful to Jeno. His heart melted at the sight, the cat peering is neck to reach out for Jeno’s touch the moment feeling all too familiar.

“I see you’ve met our newest member?” 

Jeno turns around to see a tall man behind, an apron around his body and his hands covered in fresh cat scratches and slightly damp, suggesting he was probably bathing some poor cat just now. His surprisingly neatly done hair and button-up shirt gave him an air of importance which Jeno would never have expected from one of Doyoung’s friends. (At least from previous experience) He reaches his hand out, making Jeno hesitate from letting the cat go, but still conforming to the expected human social skills. “I’m Johnny, and I would assume you’re Jeno?”

Jeno smiles, as enough of a response and turns to Johnny. “Anything I need to know about him right before we can hurry back home?”

Patience is a virtue, and Jeno sure as heck knew how to practice it. But deprive a man of his sleep and his comfort and he is likely to go crazy and forget about all his mannerisms. And that's the point that Jeno was at. Almost. 

“Just some formalities in terms of his microchip, come with me and I’ll introduce you to Taeil, he takes care of all of that.” Johnny motions further inside the house, walking past a hallway where cats laid sprawled out, seldom joined by a tired puppy. There were toys lying everywhere which would’ve posed a safety risk according to Jeno but seeing as Johnny was the only one handling these homeless animals, besides another person, it seemed excusable. Only after making a mental note to start volunteering here as soon as possible. 

“Taeil!” Johnny starts, seeing the man talking to someone, with a small golden puppy in hand. The other man’s eyes light up, waving back to Johnny with the puppy's hands, as the man before Taeil turns around to see who’s intruding their conversation. Taeil was significantly shorter than Johnny, adorning a similar fit and by the twinkle in his eyes, could only suggest that both were madly in love.

“Hey Johnny, meet Donghyuck. He’s the music major junior I was telling you about!” By the time Jeno and Johnny reach Taeil, he’s already handing the puppy back to what is presumably his next owner. “You must be Jeno! Doyoung’s told us a lot about you.” And as soon as the words leave the man’s mouth, he’s rushing over to see the kitten nestled in Jeno’s arms. “Oh my god he’s already so comfortable... you must be such a natural.” The boy beside Taeil laughs a bit at that comment, drawing Jeno’s attention towards him. A rather impolite gesture if Jeno was being honest. Although Jeno didn’t expect everyone to act the way he does, he at least expected some basic decency even from strangers.

_But to be fair, Donghyuck couldn’t help it._

He had been planning this visit for weeks, maybe even years. Having made up his mind that he would be adopting a puppy within the first week of moving out of the home. But things weren’t going so well for him, as he struggled to hold the puppy on his arms, without it wanting to jump off or claw through Donghyuck’s arms. Donghyuck was really at his wits end, not knowing what to do to make the puppy calm down.

It just pissed him off that some stranger was having it easier than he was.

He’s played with countless dogs, puppies, adults, poodles, huskies, a stranger's dog, his best friend’s dog, a pet dog named Coco on his Nintendo DS. He’s experienced it all, real and virtual… He’s just never had his own. But there was just something about their bright personalities and all-around cuteness that drew Donghyuck closer to them. Convincing him that getting a dog is his next step to adulthood, a faithful friend to be by his side when he wasn’t feeling like going to school or needed one of his social recharge days where he just sits and lazes around watching movies. And yet here he was, covered in scratches from a puppy he met half an hour ago, questioning if he was truly ready for it.

“Can I help you?” Jeno asked, his voice laced with genuine confusion at this stranger who seems to have taken a dislike to Jeno’s presence. Taeil had walked away with Johnny, presumably to work on the formalities that were previously mentioned. 

“You seem awfully happy to have heard the compliment… Although it’s just a cat.” The stranger doesn’t hold back his words. Spitting them with an understated sense of envy from seeing the cat nuzzled closer to Jeno’s body. 

“And what does that have anything to do with you?” Jeno scoffs, completely taken aback at the unmannerly behavior of the man, reminding himself what he’s truly here for and promising to ignore the man lest he continues the conversation. 

“Cat’s aren’t rocket science to take care of.” 

“Cause the bleeding scratch beside your eyes is a good judge of how great you are with pets huh Mr.-” 

“Donghyuck.” the stranger replies curtly, long nimble fingers trying to assess the damage done to his face. “And for the record, she’s just an exception, I am amazing with puppies.”

Jeno just chuckles at his reply, refusing to believe the man had the audacity to try and speak badly about his cat, just because he was having a hard time with his own puppy. “Try being nice, puppies are great at sensing kindness.”

That _definitely_ annoyed Donghyuck. 

Besides not being used to people speaking back to him, he was really trying to hold his frustrations. But he wasn’t some dimwitted jock who fought if given the opportunity, but he had an astounding ability to piss people off. So, he did what he knew would piss the guy off equally as much as Donghyuck was right now. 

“You’re right, maybe I should take your advice on board.” 

He let go of the puppy in his hands, the young golden retriever, energetic in his approach leaped off towards the stranger while barking loudly. Needless to say, the kitty in the man’s hand could only do what it deemed appropriate: run. Climbing up his back to run towards the back of the store as the puppy approached it. Donghyuck was well aware that’s how every feline would act if presented by a loud and boisterous dog charging in front of it. But as Donghyuck’s puppy came to a stop next to Jeno’s foot, his own cat now nowhere in sight. Donghyuck nonchalantly went to go pick up his puppy back in his arms, petting its soft fur, he smiled at the stranger once again. 

“Couldn’t even save your kitty from a small puppy… How sad.” 

Donghyuck started walking towards the door, that annoying smile on his face as he walked past Jeno. As if on cue, Johnny came to the front desk, a bag in hand as he handed it to Donghyuck.

“Take care of the new puppy,” Johnny said, as Donghyuck got closer to the door.

“Trust me, I will.” 

Jeno really _really_ disliked that guy.

* * *

Classes started a week after, which gave Jeno and Bom (his new cat that he got back home from the shelter after about 10 minutes of peeking under tables and in dark places) enough time to bond before he had to get used to the finicky schedule for a new year of education. To say he was dreading it was an understatement. His first compulsory course, Literature. Not to say he did not respect the literature and poetry kids ever since high school, they all minded their own business and had profound and interesting viewpoints to situations that Jeno could not even bat an eye to. But he still woke up at 8 am, courtesy of Bom’s whines of hunger, and gets to class on time. Although he doesn’t make the effort to textbooks that could give him extra credit for his course, he brings his iPad to take notes. The bare minimum to pass.

So, he really was not to blame when he entered the lecture hall 15 minutes earlier to find it almost empty and decided to watch some YouTube videos. Because as much as Jeno respected the poetry kids, he wasn’t sure if they were his preference of ‘friends.’ The class slowly started filling in, the hall was almost packed with students from different majors and stages of their higher education. But not for a second did it cross his mind that he could socialize with the people around him. They all seemed too…. interested in some William Wordsworth poem.

“Surprised to see you got out of your hole cat-man.” A characteristically familiar voice spoke through the minimal volume his Air Pods were set on. Setting his eyes on the man sitting beside him, he was confused at first. He could have sworn he’s never seen the man, but then he noticed the tiny band-aid the man pointed to. Ah… the guy at the adoption center. Scratch that. The dickhead from the adoption center. 

He really didn’t like the literature kids all of a sudden. 

“I have to apologize to you.” He started, sitting down beside Jeno before he said a word. “I was being exceptionally rude to you on that day. And although it doesn’t excuse it… I was just pissed off that getting my first puppy was not going the way I wanted it to.”

Jeno nodded along, not knowing what to say because he was still mad. Bom was still shivering from fright the whole day after that incident, and there’s no way he was going to let a half-assed apology make up for it. 

“That’s it? Not gonna say anything? An ‘It’s Okay’ or ‘Don’t worry about it’? Man, I knew you cat people were introverts, but I never thought you’d be cold-hearted too.”

“Or maybe, we are just selective about the people we are close to. Cause I sure as hell wouldn’t want a dick like you anywhere near my cat.” Jeno replied back in a snappy response to the man as he passed his baseless assumption. Any further conversation with this guy would just result in Jeno getting angrier, and as much as Jeno would love to get back into boxing right now, this man just wasn’t worth his time.

“Man, I didn’t know you hated me that much?” The boy lowers his head on the table, staring up at Jeno watching his own YouTube video. A small pout playing on his lips, as he feels a bit guilty for starting the conversation with stereotypes that are more than likely to get people annoyed. Truth is, Donghyuck felt really guilty once he got home. He sometimes gets hot-headed, sometimes teases his friends a bit too far. But even he knew it went overboard that night, especially with a stranger. So, when he saw the cat person who had been eating his mind up with guiltiness sitting on one of the benches in the front of his first lesson, he knew it was a higher power giving him the opportunity to apologize. But at this moment he seemed to have screwed it over as well.

Jeno glanced at the boy whose head rested on the table, fingers playing with the edges of the notebook wide open ready to take notes.

_Ah… cute_

That was the only thought in his head. The man who had scared his cat followed by the futile attempt at an apology by calling him an introvert (although there was nothing wrong with that) in the span of less than a week, was acting way too cute for Jeno to not comment on it.

“My name’s Jeno. Now stop acting like a kid and if you really meant the apology, then try again without any snarky remarks.” 

The lecturer entered the room on cue, silencing the students all around him as they took their seats. Donghyuck lifted his head up from the table, a small smile playing at his lips as he took out his laptop as the professor had instructed as soon as he set his things down on the table. Tearing a page from the notebook that was open earlier on and scribbling a sweet “I am actually genuinely sorry about that day.” followed by a sad face he passed it over to Jeno, turning his attention to the lecturer in front. 

There was nothing, that could distract Donghyuck from course he was sitting in currently. Being a writer is something he’s always wanted, from the little tiny poems he wrote in grade school, to the more sophisticated publications he has had in high school but the notification for an Airdrop popping up on his screen almost immediately, from _Jeno’s iPad,_ sure as heck intrigued Donghyuck more than the lecturer reading the names of books off of the summer reading list. 

“I forgot your name doh” Scribbled in what Donghyuck was presuming was his handwriting, he was kind of disappointed that the really good-looking guy he pissed off last weekend didn’t remember his name. But what disappointed him more was the fact that he could airdrop a note from his iPad but couldn’t read the name of the owner of the MacBook while sending it.

“How did you find my airdrop then?” He typed back a quick reply on the note’s app, sending it back to Jeno.

“Only one on my list, Mr. Fullsun, I took my chances.”

This felt like some old school note passing done through modern technology, as Donghyuck remembered he named his MacBook “Fullsun’s Book”, a joke that he and his best friend Mark had since he could remember walking in Kindergarten. The action in itself feeling childish and making Donghyuck realize why Jeno didn’t know his name.

“That name has got a lot of history behind it... But I’m going to concentrate on this lesson instead of telling you Mr. Jeno.” Donghyuck switched off his airdrop, being serious about wanting to concentrate on the list of Duffy poems that were being presented. He was almost, almost, visibly geeking out in the room. Duffy’s poems had been some of those feminist poems that just spoke to him for their varied tones and techniques. Something Donghyuck appreciated a lot, rather than the 14 lined Sonnet that at this point just felt repetitive. So, it was only understandable that the small exchange of airdropped notes made his romantic heart skip a little from its novelty. 

Time passed by and the lecturer started packing up his notes the array of papers that were messily strewn about his desk filed into a neat pile as the students mirrored the action on their own tables. As slow as the fleeting time had passed Jeno, it had been too short a lesson according to Donghyuck, as he mumbled something about hating his next class. Jeno's energy seemed to have perked up, as he flipped over the cover of his iPad, stretching in place before looking at Donghyuck beside him, stuffing his issue of the Duffy collection in his backpack adorned by the ridiculous teddy bear keychain.

"Let's go, Mr. Fullsun, buy me lunch?" Jeno stood up, looking down at Donghyuck who sported a look of confusion in his face. You do owe me for being rude to me and my cat.” 

Donghyuck nods his head along, taking lunch as an excuse to get to know Jeno better and possibly make a new friend. 

“Anything in particular you would like to have Mr. Jeno for this apology to be validated?”

“Shake Shack- duh.” 

* * *

"I really did mean that apology, but I am not so sure I want to retract my previous statement," Donghyuck speaks up, as a bordering uncomfortable silence started to creep up on the both of them. 

"Which one, you seemed to have made quite a few during our discussion today?" Jeno smiled at Donghyuck, remembering the way his eyes lit up with excitement every time the teacher asked for his perspective on a particular persona.

"Dogs are just better than cats." 

"You've got some nerve saying that... to my face." Jeno's arms instinctively wrap around Donghyuck's neck, holding him in a light chokehold as they walk closer to the shake shack around their campus.

"You know my mom never raised a coward, and neither can I lie to appease others." The lack of care and teasing attitude that laced Donghyuck's voice was directed at Jeno, wiggling his way out of Jeno's arms, running ahead to escape the threats.

"Wow how very honest and noble of you," Jeno shouted back, his feet running against the hard concrete of the sidewalk to meet Donghyuck at the line queuing up to get their burgers.

Jeno stood by Donghyuck for a few seconds, their energetic episode having lost its momentum as Donghyuck stood there staring at his phone with a look of disdain painted across his face. "What's wrong?" Jeno questioned, his hands resting on Donghyuck's shoulder as if it were second nature.

"Our Calculus professor wants our homework for tomorrow during today's lesson." Annoyance was evident in every syllable that spilled from Donghyuck's lips. Just as his feet were following the crowd, his mind was spinning its gears trying to think of how he's going to finish the worksheet he had no idea on how to solve.

"What homework? The day barely started you couldn't have taken any classes before literature?" Jeno asked curiously, having no idea how Donghyuck could have been given homework before the first class.

"It's one of those obligatory 101 classes, cause I didn't take it in high school. They started yesterday, Mr. Oblivious." The groan Donghyuck lets out as they reach the counter to order, would have been perceived as an impolite social antic had he not perked up and smiled immediately as the employee asked for their order.

"Thanks for the mind-opening information," Jeno answers back, taking the receipt from the employee with his shining smile before following Donghyuck to a table.

"I always help those in need, but if you will excuse me, I need to pass this class and unlike some people do not have the liberty of time to guilt-trip people into buying us lunch." His hands start digging through his backpack in the search of a few messily folded pieces of paper, a mechanical pencil already in hand by the time Jeno sits down, Donghyuck was now focused on getting this worksheet done within the next hour or so.

"First of all, I just suggested the idea, you agreed to it."

"Minor details." Donghyuck brushes Jeno off, as they both hear their number being called out. Jeno takes it upon himself to go get their burgers, while Donghyucks fingers absentmindedly start tapping at the table, having no idea how to get past the first question.

"Is it really that bad?" Jeno questions, sitting back down, pushing Donghyucks order towards him.

"Calculus. Sucked at it in high school... literally the only course I could not take for the life of me. I need to pass the required 101 course by this semester if I still want to have a shot as a successful writer in the future." Donghyuck was rambling and it was evident in his lack of eye contact. Jeno couldn't help but feel a little saddened at how stressed his new friend had become just by a few math problems, so he peered across to take a peek at the questions on the sheet.

_Chain rule... That should be easy._

Or so Jeno thought because on paper the steps that Donghyuck's pencil was going through were completely incorrect... or at least not in the correct order.

"How about I help. Cause I know for a fact that's not how the Chain rule works." His fingers tapped at the way Donghyuck did the first question. Donghyuck's eyes shot up in disbelief, as they finally looked at Jeno for the first time since sitting down.

"Man stop joking around," Donghyuck refused to believe he had done it incorrectly. There's no way possible he was making the same mistakes as high school. "I've got a formula booklet even." His eyes flew across the pages, trying to find the formula for the chain rule somewhere sandwiched between the implicit differentiation formula and the integral equation. But Donghyuck's eyes betrayed him nonetheless. He had somehow switched his ud/x with the vd/x that he had defined at the start of the question. His face seemed to be easy to read, as Jeno reached his arm out and ruffled Donghyuck's hair dragging him out of his trance.

"Yea like I said. Not how it works, now eat your food before it gets stone cold." Jeno puts down his own food to replace the pencil in Donghyuck's hand with his own burger.

"Okay then show me," Donghyuck says almost childishly, taking the paper off his burger before biting down on it in resentment towards his own lack of mathematical judgment.

"Easy, you just have to admit that cats are just as good if you not better than dogs." Jeno saw the opportunity to have a little banter and make Donghyuck smile, and he just couldn't resist. He was more than happy to help Donghyuck, but what's the harm in having a little fun?

"What?" Donghyuck's reaction was exactly as Jeno had expected.

"I'll help you with your homework, on one simple condition: admit that cats are just as good if not better than dogs."

"Does it look like I'm crazy?" Donghyuck exaggeratedly answers, his eyes widening at Jeno's condition. His tongue grazed the sides of his cheeks, a habit he exhibited when he was annoyed.

"Fine then repeat the course next semester." Jeno resumed eating, not bothering to notice the way Donghyuck's eyes quivered at the possibility of having to repeat the course.

"You wouldn't threaten me like this..." His desperation was evident, and as much as Jeno felt sorry for playing with his emotions like this, it was too fun to let go just yet.

"I just did." Jeno's smile spread wide across his face as he noticed Donghyuck reconsidering all his choices and decisions. "Consider this payment for tutoring you, now come on, I wanna hear it loud and clear." Jeno pulled his phone out from his jacket pocket, brushing past the metal of the zipper as he set it down on the table and Donghyuck prepared himself in what could only be described as a hyperbolic confession.

  


**"Cats are... equally as good... as dogs."**

  


"Nope, not the exact sentence, come on..." Jeno's fingers hovered over the record button on his phone, as he urged Donghyuck to repeat the phrase.

"Cats are just as good... if not better than dogs" Donghyuck spoke through gritted teeth, being well aware of the voice recording Jeno was taking. But he couldn't blame him, he deserved at least this much humiliation for scaring Jeno's cat last week. Or at least that's how he justified it in his head.

"Did that hurt?" Jeno questions, teasingly.

"Very much."

"Glad you appreciate your future more than your pride Mr. Lee"

  


* * *

  


"Give me your number." Jeno blurted out, as his fingers tapped vigorously on his phone as Donghyuck was stuffing the sheets of paper which had all of his scribbled working out on them for his class that only half an hour ago, he was dreading.

"Woah straightforward, I like that." The smile had returned to Donghyuck's face, as had the afternoon suns blazing rays. He stood up from the table the both of them had occupied, preparing himself to face the horrifying heat on the way back to campus.

"Don't fool yourself, just want to send you the recording of your own downfall." Jeno tauntingly waved the recording on his phone in front of his face. Donghyuck was annoyed, but in the loving way you'd be annoyed at your best friend. Although they had only spent a few hours being civil friends, it felt natural for Donghyuck to be around Jeno.

Could you really blame him for the chuckle that escaped his lips upon seeing Jeno's silly antics?

"Wow, how romantic." Donghyuck wanted to roll his eyes, but as soon as his eyes met Jeno’s, he forgot all about it. Taking Jeno's phone in his hand as he typed in his number.

"Please as if I would ever subject myself to being near a dog person for extended periods of time." Jeno's head inched closer to Donghyuck's watching as he saved his name as "Fullsun" on his phone, making Jeno laugh a little at the absolute mystery behind the name. But hearing Jeno say that made Donghyuck's heart hurt a little, in a way he couldn't describe besides being rejected by a crush. 

_But he wasn’t a crush though, just a newly made friend. Right? Plus he liked cats... blegh._

"Have you ever even had a dog?" Donghyuck questioned, returning the phone back to Jeno.

"You can't possibly believe I have never interacted with Dogs."

"Well, your preference for cats could only be justified through that reason." Donghyuck hadn't realized but Jeno had started walking the same path as him towards the campus.

"My best friend had a Samoyed since we were children... trust me I've had my own share of puppies around me. I just prefer the cats over them."

"You've got to be kidding me. I mean how can you not love how energetic and sweet they are? You probably suck at taking care of them right?" Donghyuck's steps quicken, as he turns around to walk backward and face Jeno.

"Nope I am a natural at it.. must be blessed by the animal gods or something." Jeno shakes his head gently, watching Donghyucks face twist into a look of disbelief.

"Mmmm I'm back to being annoyed by you."

"What? Why?"

"How are you just naturally good at it... that's just unfair." Donghyuck’s hands lifted up in animation, trying to convey his level of annoyance at the universe. "I've wanted a dog of my own for so long, but all I've gotten from her so far is a bunch of scratches on my forearm." Jeno could only feel sympathy for Donghyuck as he listened to his words. Donghyuck's eyes had lost their spark once he started to talk about all the dreams he's had as a kid of having his own canine companion. His younger brothers were allergic to dogs, and as much as he wanted a dog, he never wanted to put his own siblings in an uncomfortable position. So he kept quiet about it for so long until he moved away for college. Jeno felt a sense of pride and a newfound appreciation for Donghyuck upon hearing his words, halting his steps outside the gates of the campus, he waited for Donghyuck stop along with him before speaking up.

"Well now that you have my number... How about you give a call when you're free... and we can try bonding with your puppy together?"

  


* * *

  


**Unknown:** Hey 

**Unknown:** Think you should listen to this recording 

**Unknown:** It’ll make calculus a little less boring 

**Unknown:** Donghyuck_Lees_Defeat.mp3

  


**_Contact saved:_ Animal Whisperer Jeno**

  


* * *

  


When Donghyuck called Jeno's phone well past the sun's working hours, he was just thinking it would be the most convenient time to bring a stranger to the Frat house he lived in. Within the first week of school, he ended up in the frat courtesy of his best friend. And although he appreciated the bigger individual rooms, what he didn't appreciate were drunk boys sprawled outside his room without their shirts. So he decided if he had any chance of seeing Jeno minus the other hot boys surrounding him, today would be the day. “Hello?” Donghyuck spoke with uncertainty, his own body resting against his bed as he nervously nibbled on his fingers hoping that he’s not being a nuisance. 

“Took you long enough to call.” The static voice that followed the greeting eased Donghyuck, his head landing with a soft thud on his pillows. Donghyuck couldn’t help but chuckle a little upon realizing how stressed he’s been for calling someone who’s just his ‘friend.’ 

"Thank you, my knight, in shining armor for the reminder.” He replied back in the same sassy tone that Jeno had answered in. “Maybe, if you could grace me with your presence my own puppy will finally love me."

"Okay, now you're just being petty.” On the other side of the phone, Jeno was one step ahead of Donghyuck. His hands were already rummaging through his wardrobe, trying to find a t-shirt to throw on before he could start walking to Donghyuck’s place. 

_Somewhere near the campus… or so he remembers from their last conversation._

“Just get here quick. I haven’t seen my puppy in the last hour and I am getting worried.” 

“Text me your address?”

“First my name, and now my address… Do you remember anything about me?” Donghyuck was just joking around, but he made sure he a lathered the fake offense well in his voice. 

“I remember how much you love the raspberry cheesecake cookies from Subway, so forgive me as I run out to get them.” 

-

Jeno stood outside of the large frat house, the wooden door seemingly intimidating although the man he came to meet was only the opposite. He rang the bell, a pack of cookies he promised in hand as he waited for someone to open the door. It was almost comical to Jeno, thinking of Donghyuck as one of those emotionless frat boys running after girls. The door opened, as a swarm of boys left the house, pushing Jeno to the side. He would’ve been left in the dark of the night, had a guy not stopped to notice Jeno’s unfamiliar face. He had a jacket lazily thrown over his shoulders, the orange t-shirt he was wearing underneath giving him a glow that just stole your breath away. He was no doubt good looking, and his eye-catching, award-winning smile that he gave to Jeno sure as heck sealed the deal to that opinion. 

"Hey, I am Mark…” The guy started, upon seeing Jeno’s slightly stunned expression, “Are you here to join the frat?" It was almost duty on Mark’s behalf to recruit new members to the frat, so he was almost half-forced to ask the same question again the handsome man standing outside his shared house. 

Jeno gulps for a second, taking a second to answer him back as his mind tried to point at the vague familiarity of the man in front of him "Just here to visit a new friend, do you know if he is here? His name is Donghyuck." A glow of recognition flashed against Mark’s face. A smile spreading across his face as he opened the door for Jeno, "Oh Haechan? Just follow me." His words flowed so smoothly, it borderline was disrupting Jeno.

Everything about this man's voice seemed as if Jeno had known him for as long as he could remember- and then it struck him.

“You have a SoundCloud account don’t you?” Jeno stopped in his steps, making Mark look at him in astonishment. 

“You’ve heard my songs?” 

“Heard them? You mean absolutely love them.” Jeno was borderline fanboying, but he couldn’t help himself. Mark was one of the first SoundCloud artists he had ever followed in the senior year of high school. Right as Jeno was getting into competitive dancing, he somehow found himself dancing to Mark’s remixes. Even having embarrassing covers of Mark’s original raps saved on his phone, and the animated way that he was talking about them to Mark could only make him smile. 

“It sucks that you’re here to see Hyuck and I have plans today,” Mark says opening the door to a room that opened to a sight of Donghyuck sprawled across his bed playing on his phone. “Next time, let’s hang out so I can get to know you better.” He whispers slightly closer to Jeno, as he called out to his friend on the bed. “Mr. Haechan, Some guy’s here to see you." Donghyuck perked up from his position on the bed, eyes glittering to see Jeno here under the span of half an hour, before he noticed the way Mark was looking at Jeno: he was definitely interested.

As Jeno walked inside Donghyuck's (Haechan's? Fullsun's?) room, he turned around to silently thank Mark, watching him walk back outside to attend to his plans. Donghyuck didn’t bother getting up from the bed, patting the space next to him as he questioned Mark about his plans. “Thanks, are you going to be staying in today?”

"As much as I’d love to you know I can’t. But I’ll see you later hopefully." Mark closes the door behind him as Jeno sits down next to Donghyuck. Noticing the slight scowl on his face, he worries momentarily, before realizing it’s probably a petty reason that has him upset again. 

"What not enjoying the frat?" Jeno questions, poking his cheeks in an attempt to make Donghyuck lose the raised eyebrows as he stared towards the door.

"The frats great,” Donghyuck grumbles, body falling down onto the bed as his hands reach to cover his eyes from the suddenly piercing light in the room. “I just don’t enjoy my best friend flirting with the guy I kinda maybe like."

Jeno laughs for a second, hearing Donghyuck’s childish rant. Wait.

**_Kinda maybe like?_ **

"kinda maybe…” Jeno questions, repeating his thoughts out in the open as the light was not the only problem in the room, but it seems like the temperature started rising as Jeno’s cheeks blushed a stupid shade of scarlet red from embarrassment. 

“Don’t make me repeat it, it hurt my ego enough to just say that.” When Donghyuck sits up this time, his face is impossibly close to Jeno’s. And if there was a mirror in front of his face right now, he knew he would be mentally slapping himself for burning as deep of a crimson shade on his cheeks as Jeno was sporting himself. "Well despite your superiority to me in math, and handling puppies you are also kind of cute." 

"You’re blushing.” Jeno said, almost matter-of-factly as his lips stretched into a wide smile that made his eyes turn the shape crescents.

"Stop noticing minor details.” Donghyuck’s whiny voice was back, and if that wasn’t enough he would have been on the verge of a tantrum if Jeno continued to tease him. “You were supposed to show me how good you are with puppies."

"Oh.. you're right. Where is she?"

Donghyuck slips off the bed, in a dramatic- the way you would recreate a spy movie on your bed kinda- manner, looking under his bed to find his puppy snuggled next to one of the Pokémon stuffed toys she had taken from Donghyuck’s bed. 

"Well, Nugget seems to love sleeping under the bed." He answers, upon confirming his suspicions, looking up at a confused Jeno. 

"Nugget?" Jeno was on the verge of laughter. He knew both Donghyuck and him were of the same age, but somehow… somehow… he managed to be so so so different to him.

"Yeah."

"Ahhhh first you being pouty during class, then acting jealous a second ago and now the name of your puppy... Can you get any cuter?" Jeno couldn’t handle it, to say the least. If he was sure Donghyuck was about to throw a tantrum out of embarrassment, then Jeno was sure he was on the verge of one just due to pure infatuation to the antics of this man next to him. 

And somehow, that gave Donghyuck newfound confidence. He scooted closer to Jeno, almost eye to eye if it wasn’t for the slight slouch in Jeno’s stance. 

"Is that a challenge?" Donghyuck smiles, his eyes covered with a shimmer of mischief as he leaned closer. Donghyuck could imagine it perfectly, he leans closer and presses his lips against Jeno and he reciprocates back- 

_Before that happened._

Never under-estimate the power of a well-rested puppy. Just inches away from each other, Donghyuck got pushed forward by the power of his puppy jumping on the bed. The moment absolutely ruined as the puppy started licking Donghyuck’s face after climbing over him. Jeno sat at the side, laughter teasing at the edge of his lips upon witnessing the scene. "Oh my god Nugget!" Donghyuck’s hands snake around his puppy’s body, holding her close to his body as the look of exasperation returns to his face. His fingers brush through his hair, a habit that Jeno realized Donghyuck does every time he feels embarrassed. "Did I just get cockblocked by my own Dog?" 

"Did you say something?" Jeno completely missed Donghyuck’s comment as he tried to hold off his laughter. But Donghyuck’s slightly pissed off face shut him up completely. 

"Yeah, I said you’re cute." Donghyuck snapped, not being able to hold it in anymore as he let Nugget out of his hands. “Aghhhh it was the perfect moment as well…” 

Jeno pats Donghyuck’s stomach, making him break free from his little moment, as he smiles at him reassuringly. "Are you going to ask me to stay for dinner or are you going to loom alone and leave me to play with your puppy."

"Dinner. Stay." Donghyuck was usually sure of everything he did. That’s what really helped sell his whole confident facade all through high school. And he was goddamn sure of this: he wanted Jeno to stay. So as his eyes took on their classic puppy dog pleading mode, his hand reached out to grab Jeno’s that was wrapped around Nugget, busy fluffing her fur. 

"Sounds good to me... But only after we give Nugget a bath first.” Jeno says, sniffing Nugget’s fur and making a face of disgust. “That's your first mistake Mr. Donghyuck."

Donghyuck makes some excuse about being scared of scratches, as Jeno walks towards Donghyuck’s washroom. There on the open cabinet, stood the Dog shampoo, completely untouched, alongside a mess of Donghyuck’s personal care items. Jeno smiles a little, witnessing the unorganized state of his belongings, a stark contrast to the organized way Jeno lived his life even in an empty apartment. He walks over to the bathtub, filling it with water, signaling to Donghyuck to hold Nugget as he tests the water for the temperature. Donghyuck just watches from the side, his hands working their way across Nugget’s back, the whole moment feeling way more intimate than the encounter they had a second ago. 

"What did you name your cat?" He asks, out of the blue, realizing he still had no idea about Jeno’s cat, although here Jeno was prepared to give his own dog a bath on a random school night. 

"Bom." He answers without hesitation, arms reaching out as if silently asking for Nugget. 

"Like spring or after the 2NE1 member?" Donghyuck’s question may have broken the spell of a sweet domestic homely night, but it did elicit a chuckle from Jeno that sounded like the angels were singing in his ears. 

"Initially, spring,” Jeno replies after his laughter dies down. “But that's not a bad idea either, considering my first album ever was a 2NE1 album."

The rest of Nugget’s bath goes quietly. Nugget actually enjoying the water made it much easier for Donghyuck to take over soon enough, making sure her fur is well lathered with the shampoo and rinsed clean. 

Jeno was standing with a towel at the door, taking Nugget in his arms, as Donghyuck walked out of the washroom. Donghyuck was on his way to his wardrobe, picking out a new shirt to wear as the current one had been drenched by Nugget splashing around in the tub. Somewhere along the lines, Jeno had asked where the hairdryer was, and as Donghyuck shouted the answer back he thought Jeno might need a new shirt too. 

Grabbing one of his plain black shirts (cause the one that Jeno was wearing looked way too good on him for his own good) he went back inside the room, seeing Jeno finishing up drying Nugget’s fur. As the sound of the hairdryer died down, he picked up Nugget from Jeno’s lap, handing him the new shirt. “Get changed and come outside, I’ll get started on Dinner.” 

Donghyuck didn’t give Jeno a second to answer, but it did prompt Jeno to notice the damp patch on his shirt. 

_That was thoughtful of him._

Jeno walked out, ruffling his hair as he walks outside towards the noise of rattling pots that managed to surprise Jeno beyond belief. "When I suggested dinner I thought we were ordering Pizza. But man, you can really cook." The kitchen counter was spread with different ingredients, half of which Jeno couldn’t even recognize, and some sort of fancy cheese, which seemed more expensive than an average college student’s budget for food (or so Jeno assumed, he didn’t know the differences between cheeses to be honest.) 

"Duh, I'm not an uncultured caveman.” Donghyuck answers, turning around to look at Jeno as he drops a bunch of spaghetti in a pot. “I once sent a pic of my plate of eclairs to Gordon Ramsay... but it got ignored. He was probably just scared to comment on perfection to be honest." Jeno laughs, sitting by the sides watching Donghyuck cook as Nugget ran up to him rubbing its fur on his legs. 

"I must say I am in complete agreement with you there." Maybe at this point, Jeno was just admiring the way Donghyuck’s hands worked quickly with the knife while he managed to tell him all about the story of why his nickname was Haechan, or as Jeno knew it _Fullsun._ And it was a newfound admiration Jeno had for Donghyuck’s abilities that made him lost in the childhood stories about his fear of thunder, and how Mark had named him Fullsun as a way to call on sunshine every time it rained. Or maybe it was the fact that a lot of Jeno’s favorite remixes on Mark’s SoundCloud account were Donghyuck’s remixes that he posted on that account. 

That’s how the night went by, up until the moment Donghyuck carried the empty plates that left a trace of fettuccine alfredo that he had made for the both of them to the dishwasher. "Wanna play overwatch?" Donghyuck asked, interrupting the calm and silent atmosphere of the room, the noises of the outside weather completely disregarded by the both of them. 

"Unless you expect me to go back home and send you a friend request or do you expect me to pull my desktop out of my back pocket?" 

"Don't be silly just use Mark's gaming laptop.” He takes Jeno by the hand, leading him to a room beside his own, only to walk out of it with a laptop in hand alongside a wired mouse. “He doesn't know how to use it anyway."

Maybe when Jeno was around Donghyuck all he wanted to do was smile. Everything he said, every word he uttered, made butterflies jump in Jeno’s heart, and he knew that every moment he spent with Donghyuck… it truly felt like warm sunshine every second. So Jeno just shrugged his shoulders, and smiled, "Sounds good to me."

* * *

Thud.

The noise of the game in the background of his earphones was too loud for Jeno to notice anything besides the words of his teammates and of Donghyuck’s seldom shouts of annoyance at team members who wouldn’t cooperate. But the sound of something heavy hitting the floor was almost deafening to Jeno. 

"Hey you okay?" Jeno turned his head around to see Donghyuck’s legs pulled up to his chest. A look of fear in his face, his headphones hanging haphazardly off his neck and his body pushed away from his table that was situated right opposite the open window. The flash of lightning passed through the corner of Jeno’s eyes as he realized what he missed just moments before.

"Hey hey ... what’s up what’s wrong?" Jeno walks towards, Donghyuck. Jeno’s arms wrapping instinctively across him, cradling Donghyuck’s head against Jeno’s chest. 

"Loud noise. Thunder."

"Is it scary?" Jeno’s hand reassuringly smoothed the top of Donghyucks’s head, feeling helpless that he could not make things better for him. The soft sound of rain against the window started in the far background, and all throughout which Donghyuck’s heavy breath thundered in Jeno’s ears.

"Very Scary." Donghyuck leaned closer to Jeno, snuggling next to his body warmth as his own heart calmed down, the fear of thunder leaving his mind in slow increments.

"Are you sure it's not a ploy to get you to hug me?" Jeno tried to ease the tension in Donghyuck’s body, his hands slowly massaging his shoulder as his words try to get the witty Donghyuck back to his smiley, sunshine self. 

"As much as I like hugging you right now animal whisperer, I even mute my gameplay sound effects cause I can't stand loud noises." Just as Jeno though it was going well, and the angry noises of their teammates died down, the thunder rang once again, visibly making Donghyuck shake. "Oh, shit..."

"Hey, it's okay.” Jeno says moving around to hold Donghyuck’s face in his hands, as he kneels down to be eye level with him. “It's okay.. I am here with you right?” The way Jeno tilts his head has a sense of reassurance through his body. The little droplets of tears that had collected in Donghyuck’s eyes threatening to spill had it not been for Jeno’s fingers brushing against the corners of his eyes. 

"Yeah sorry for this by the way.” Donghyuck shakes his shoulders, trying to reduce his nerves. “Usually mark would either text me or be with me." He tries to justify his actions trying to look away from Jeno’s caring eyes. They almost felt like home, in the most vulnerable second that Donghyuck looked into them, making him feel safe and secure. He tugged nervously on the seams of his shirt, waiting for Jeno to say something back. 

"Well I am glad it's me with you this time.” Jeno’s eyes crinkled up into his classic smile, making Donghyuck mirror his actions. A giggle erupted from Donghyuck’s chest, his hands wiping off the remnants of the tears that never spilled. 

"How are you a better distraction than Mark?" Donghyuck says, enjoying the way Jeno’s fingers threaded through his hanging bangs pushing them back. The silence that lingered was much louder than the rain that pitter-pattered against the sidewalk outside the room. 

"I have my ways."

"You're actually crazy, my puppy looked like a soggy fry because of you just hours ago," Donghyuck says pushing Jeno away from him, trying to stand up from his seat. 

"Well, now we have a different nickname for her! Great." He laughs, pulling Donghyuck closer to his body, scared that he might breakdown if Jeno didn’t hold him in his arms as soon as possible. But almost out of instinct, as soon as Donghyuck was close enough, his lips puckered up to press a sweet kiss against Donghyuck’s forehead. Making him close his eyes and relish the feeling of having Jeno close to him for a second. "Should we tone down the crazy and watch a bit of Netflix now Hyuckie?"

"Definitely. "

  


* * *

  


"The kissing booth? Really?" Jeno groans, tucking his head under Donghyuck’s as he watches the other man hover over the name, second guesses leaving his mind just as soon as Jeno expressed his dislike of it. 

"Hey, it's a good movie." Donghyuck tried to argue. There was still a tinge of red across Donghyuck’s cheeks from a few moments ago. Donghyuck figured Jeno hadn’t noticed what he did that made his heartbeat a million times faster, but Donghyuck just couldn’t seem to forget it. Besides the kiss on the forehead, Jeno had called Donghyuck by a different name: _Hyuckie._ It felt sweet, and intimate and really played with his heartstrings of a romanticist 

"I am sure I could be a better boyfriend than Jacob Eldori in that movie." Jeno gruffs, only a minute into the movie. Suggesting not only that Jeno has watched this movie before, but he’s also watched it attentively enough to remember the plotline and its very nitty-gritty details. 

"Impossible.” Donghyuck retaliates petting Jeno’s cheeks that had puffer up in irritation by now. “I mean come on his love for his girlfriend was so strong he was ready to give up on his brother." His hands became lively all of a sudden, enthusiastically pointing at the screen to the characters that played out their parts perfectly in the twisted love story. 

"Not the best message ever though, is it?” Jeno takes Donghyuck’s hands in his, kissing his knuckles that still vaguely smelled of garlic that he had chopped up for their dinner. Confused momentarily by the longevity of the stench of garlic, but still being able to fondly think back to the moments at dinner, where they both wove stories of their childhood to let the other into their lives a little deeper. 

"Touché." Donghyuck replies, stealing his hands back from Jeno before staring him in the eye. For a second, the hands of the clocks around them all stop, the fleeting time extending its ephemeral nature to witness the scene unfolding between the two. All hints of shyness escaping both of them as their mutual pining aligned at this very second. Eye to eye, they stared at each other, Donghyuck’s eyes darting to Jeno’s perfect lips wanting nothing more than to press a peck against it. 

"Doesn’t mean I can’t prove I am a better kisser than Jacob Elordi," Jeno mumbles, before closing the few inches between them.

  


* * *

"LEE DONGHYUCK."

The loud shout of his own name dragged him out of the sweet trance that he was enraptured in while listening to music on his air pods, pulling them out to see an unreadable smile across Jeno’s lips as he tried to maintain his decency amongst the rest of the strangers, he called his classmates while walking up to Donghyuck.

"Wow Good Morning to you to man."

Jeno slams the copy of Duffy’s poems in his hands on the table, infuriation clearly visible in the depths of his chocolate eyes. Donghyuck wasn’t sure if it was the negative representation of some of the greatest men in history that had gotten Jeno this mad, or something that he had done in the last 2 hours since they had seen each other and parted with nothing but sweet words, and even sweeter pancakes. 

"My Cat. Won’t. Come Near Me." Jeno punctuated his words as if they were of utmost importance, but they only elicited a giggle from Donghyuck along with his half-assed reply. 

"And how am I supposed to help with that Mr. Animal whisperer?"

"It’s because of you!” Jeno said, sitting beside Donghyuck in what the class would presume to be their fixed seats from now on, pointing a finger towards Donghyuck accusingly. “I smell like Nugget and her owner. Both very distinctly puppy-like smells." Jeno can’t help but groan at the fact that the only living thing he wanted the utmost love from (his cat) was currently ignoring him. Causing him to put his head down on the table face first, with absolutely no idea on how to solve this dilemma of his. 

"Well it was your own decision to stay over that brought you to this position," Donghyuck says ruffling Jeno’s hair, feeling a pang of guilt across his chest because over the night of talking and breakfast Donghyuck truly understood just how much his cats meant to him. "Go take a shower once you get home."

"I did! I even changed clothes and he still won't come near me." Jeno’s words sounded like mumbles, but they were just distinct enough for Donghyuck to hear over the chatter in the lecture hall. 

"Man you hugged me once when the first thunder struck you can’t smell like me that much." Donghyuck straightens his back up, wanting to go back to listening to his music while continuing to pet Jeno’s hair. 

"Donghyuck, you fell asleep hugging me by the waist."

"Was that a problem?" He answered an air pod already in as the music started to play its sweet beats in his ears. 

"Not a problem, but I am just gonna have to sanitize your whole room." Jeno tilts his head to rest them on his arms still folded between him and the table, "And as much as I love spending time with you I am not sacrificing my love for Bom."

"At least Nugget wasn't that stuck up about smell." Donghyuck passes the sly comment without a moment of thinking, regretting it as soon as he said that in case he hurt Jeno’s feelings. Biting back his reaction as he waited to judge Jeno’s reply in order to make necessary damage control. 

"Are you implying dogs have a less sensitivity to smell than cats, making the felines superior?" Jeno sat up straight, suddenly intrigued by where the conversation is going. 

"I have implied no such thing!” Donghyuck retaliates, suddenly understanding the weight of his words in the context that Jeno had comprehended them in. “Just dogs aren't always making a big deal about it."

"Ahhh so dogs aren’t as loyal. I see." Jeno smirked, enjoying the way Donghyuck’s calm facade crumbles, as his attention shifts from the images on his laptop to Jeno.

"Listen Lee Jeno stop twisting my words." His voice held a mischievous adornment to them, hidden by the layers of sternness that he used to exaggerate the intensity of his statement to follow. "I like you, but I am never liking cats."

"We'll see about that. It's Bom's bath day today, and I could really use a helper who would not mind a few extra scratches."

"I am so regretting waking up this morning." He groans in defeat; not enough time has passed by for Donghyuck to forget the big favor that Jeno had done him only hours prior. Hoping dearly that the phrase would pass by Jeno’s hearing between the shuffling of students flocking in the room.

"Excuse me?"

"I said Meow."

"Yeah, that's as likely as me growing a third eye." He laughs, turning to face the front of the classroom, realizing that maybe literature wouldn’t be as boring as he thought it would be. As long as he had his _Fullsun_ to shine some light on the jumbling words on the page… maybe over some coffee. 

  


  



End file.
